Co-Op and Edward Jenner Museum in an English Country Garden

On 30^th June 2009, 14 volunteer gardeners are visiting Berkeley for the day to give the Edward Jenner Museum a tidy-up/make-over in Jenner’s former garden. The Museum run by a charitable trust is the Co-Op’s chosen recipient for assistance this year out of the whole Mid-counties region, which has delighted staff at the famous Gloucestershire attraction.

As part of the Co-op ethos staff have to do ‘community hours’ which must go towards a worthwhile project. Museum Director Sarah Parker said: We are very grateful to the Co-op team for their most generous offer to help us in our efforts to improve and renovate our garden. We hope eventually to re-plant Jenner’s garden to as it was in the 18/19^th Century. We are working with garden designer, Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall on the project but need support, research and as a charity, above all funds.

The Museum currently operates with one part-time Gardener/Maintenance Manager who apart from looking after nearly one acre of garden, also looks after Edward Jenner’s 200 year old vine, planted from cuttings taken from the world’s oldest vine at Hampton Court Palace in 1801. The delicious dessert grapes (Black Hamburg) will be on sale at the museum from August and cuttings are also available.

The assistance the Co-Op volunteers will provide is an immense boost to the Museum’s “outdoor look”. After the Co-Op team has left long-term volunteers in the garden are needed for ongoing assistance and the Museum is looking for an Apprentice Vine-Keeper, to learn the ancient craft of vine-keeping.

Jenner himself apparently experimented with blood as fertilizer and was a keen gardener, along with his world famous medical research activities.

This year celebrates the 260^th anniversary of Edward Jenner’s birth and his garden has one noticeable scar on the lawn. The trench left by the University of Bristol’s archeological dig is being left open for visitors to see Saxon Berkeley. Sarah Parker said We doubt that Jenner would have been aware of how much history was under his lawn!

Pipped by "more interesting news"

Looks as though the news release that Banksy is exhibiting at Bristol Museum has knocked any BBC coverage of the dig due today at Berkeley on the head.

Although I love art it is only because Banksy is a "mythical" figure that so much coverage has been given to him, whereas here we have a story of international importance with a discovery of a monastery enclosure the size of Winchester in Gloucestershire!

So frustrating.

Talk by Dr Stuart Prior

Just had a long tour of the University of Britstol's dig at Berkeley. Amazing progress made, medieval buildings uncovered, possibly St Michaels Lane, Roman finds, coins, etc and of course evidence of the Anglo Saxon Monastery they were looking for.

Some bits will be covered over for next year's dig but others will be left open for display for the next few months.

All very exciting and hopefully the BBC will give it good coverage on Friday.

Half a William the Conqueror coin

Half a William the Conqueror coin
Originally uploaded by TMR Davies

From the dig at Berkeley in the garden of The Edward Jenner Museum. Half a coin from 1067, cut in half for payment before lower denomination copins were "invented"